#bikeshipping

Bikeflights was represented by four Ambassadors, including Tina Beecham, Jessica Brunson and Diana Hildebrand all in person and Kecia McCullough joining virtually. 

Vice President Sue George also made the trip to the nation’s capital.

Held over three days at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and on Capitol Hill, the Summit’s energy was overwhelmingly positive. It turns out that now is a good time for bike advocacy. You can see it by simply riding around Washington, DC, where like many other parts of the country, there are increasingly more protected bike lanes, dedicated trails and paths and many other infrastructure improvements that have been proven to increase rider safety, like rumble strips and better lighting and signage.

And the momentum continues with recent infrastructure bills promising more funding to come to states and localities everywhere. Of course, there’s still plenty more work to be done. We were all reminded of a sobering statistic: there’s been a 55% increase in cycling fatalities in the US in the past 10 years.

On opening day, we especially enjoyed the presentation by Veronica O. Davis, author of “Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities.” Davis believes everyone should have access to safe, reliable and affordable transportation, and she shared some of her first-hand experiences creating more such opportunities while working for the City of Houston as the Director of Transportation & Drainage Operations. Davis painted a candid picture of what it’s really like to be on the administrative side of bike advocacy, something useful for bike advocates to better understand as they work with other administrators in similar situations.

Perhaps the most entertaining speaker was Shailen Bhatt, Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). With his witty sense of humor, Bhatt made us laugh, even while sharing info about The Active Transportation Infrastructure & Investment Program (ATIIP) and how the FHWA encourages the implementation of projects and programs to improve safety, equity and accessibility for all road users, especially through Complete Streets Planning.

Another big highlight was getting to see our very own Bikeflights Ambassador Diane Hildebrand receive an award upon being named “Educator of the Year” by the League of American Bicyclists. Congratulations to Diane!

The second – or middle day – of the Summit was what is called “Lobby Day.” That’s when Summit attendees swap out their bike shoes and helmets for business attire and meet with their respective Senators and Representatives or their staff to advocate for bills and initiatives that will create a more bicycling-friendly America. 

As we rode bikes and walked around Washington, we were treated to the sight of blooming cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin and everywhere. Mother Nature may have brought peak bloom a week or two prematurely this year, but her timing worked out to be perfect for us to enjoy.

Our big takeaway from this year’s National Bike Summit is that the most important thing is to simply show up. Again and again. We were reminded by retiring Oregon Senator Earl Blumenauer and Washington Area Bicyclist Association Advocacy Director Jeremiah Lowery that nothing ever happens to make cycling better and safer if no one shows up. 

So while not everyone can take the time or afford the expense of traveling to Washington to lobby their members of Congress for bills that fund cycling infrastructure improvements, there’s a lot we can all do locally…  such as filling out surveys to give rider input about proposed local transportation projects, attending your city or county meetings and getting involved in your local advocacy group.

The ideal candidate will possess excellent customer service and communication skills and an innate willingness to assist customers and fellow team members. They will be self-motivated and able to work efficiently and accurately. 

This is a virtual position - you will work remotely using provided technology.

Customer Experience Associates must be available to work four regularly scheduled seven-hour weekday shifts per week plus one seven-hour weekend shift per month for an average of 30 hours per week. Opportunities are available for additional hours per week.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following:

Communicate courteously with customers by chat, email and telephone.

Promptly handle a large number of online chats, emails and calls daily while maintaining a friendly voice and professional attitude.

Work in a semi-scripted environment while also resolving unscripted situations quickly on the fly and in a positive and customer-focused manner.

Leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technology to efficiently and effectively respond to customer inquiries.

Collaborate with other team members to resolve customer tickets.

Communicate professionally with partner carrier staff by email, chat and phone on behalf of customers.

Keep accurate records documenting discussions and correspondence with customers.

Investigate and solve customers’ problems, which may be complex and highly emotional.

Manage customer complaints, such as a lost bike, delayed delivery or damage during shipping.

Maintain current knowledge of Bikeflights’ products and services.

Work and communicate regularly with other Customer Support staff.

Document, reproduce and relay site issues to the development team.

Attend regular virtual team meetings.

Suggest possible new improvements to customer service and help implement selected improvements.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

Associate Degree + relevant experience or Bachelor’s Degree

Strong written and oral communication skills

Strong customer service skills

Strong organizational and attention to detail skills

Excellent time management skills

Excellent computer and typing skills with the ability to efficiently download, create, edit and share documents as well as create PDF and JPG file formats from other file types

Reliable, high speed internet access

Resident of a US state.

Preferred Qualifications 

Prior shipping, call center and/or customer service a plus

Prior experience in the cycling industry a plus

Ability to speak a second language desired

Prior remote work environment experience a plus

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

Travel

Travel is not required for this position. The Customer Experience Associate may have the opportunity to travel in support of Bikeflights partner events, approximately 1-2 times per year for periods lasting from 1-3 days up to approximately one week.

Salary & Benefits

The starting compensation for this position is $23 per hour. Employee benefits include a remote work environment, paid time off and an annual bonus based on company and employee performance.

Note

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.

Other Information

Bikeflights is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug-free workplace and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.